In the ten years since the French had come to Italy under Charles VIII, much had changed for Marin Sanudo's Venice. The French had left, but the old Francophile Giuliano della Rovere was now pope. News had arrived that Emperor Maximilian was nearing some sort of pact with both the French and the Spanish monarchs and the pope. But despite her reputation, Venice often had great difficulty figuring the intentions or, even the existing alliances or, the ongoing projects among the major powers. As well known an appetite as Venice had in her so avidly seeking information, the reality could often be a much leaner fare. Sometimes the news travelled only as fast as horses could run. What if the horses were never sent, or letters were captured? There were so many potential problems to prepare for.
The arrival of letters from Alvise Mocenigo, ambassador at the Imperial court in Innsbruck, then, this time in the spring of 1504, is a great example of how distant the halls of state of even Venice could be kept apart from the highest terrestrial conversations. The other great powers now and then, by keeping her rotating ambassaors out of the central information loop (until perceived dangers had passed and actions could proceed to other activities), these actors could then act in more relative freedom from the prying eyes of the supposedly all-seeing Venice. Sometimes the changes in administration from one pope to another, or, from one ambassador or informant to another, could open up huge vistas of information and potential consequences, and thus necessitate increased airing of details of past activities that reflected on the torrid current of state policies. These bits of new information that did make it back to Venice often caused turbulent discussion there.
Mocenigo, confirmed in Venice November 1502, relieved his predecessor in Augsburg by December. The situation was one of flux then. A year later, old news was still coming to light.
Letters from March 5 tell how the royal secretary Don Matteo Lang spoke of a three-year truce between France and Spain and Maximilian, the 'king of the Romans.' This was what Venice called him, unless they referred to him as 'the archduke' of Austria. Max was meanwhile off to Bavaria to settle things there but would return. The ambassadors from Milan were in despair since, the last time Emperor Max and Louis XII the King of France made a pact, Milan had lost her independence. A rumor floated that France would cede Naples to the king of the Romans and, Milan's position would be left little more than as another pawn, or worse, vassals of Innsbruck.
By March 18, Sanudo tells us the city had received more letters from Mocenigo, dated March 8. This time he said he had received a gift of fish from the Emperor and, word that the Germans should consume that gift with him and thus that the Germans should go meet them. Perhaps this is a bit more clever than merely odd. Ambassador Mocenigo said he himself had sent 'one of his men' to lodge with the head of the French king's couriers, to be 'on the lookout' for nunzios and letters from Rome. He also reported that 'people in Germany' thought that Louis was consumptive and would soon die - which was far from the case. He would last another ten years.
On March 27, more letters from the week before (the 16th) arrived. Some of this was in code and advised Venice to make overtures to Maximilian, Archduke of Austria, king of the Romans. More specifically he said, that if Max did acquire Naples and Milan in these negotiations with poope Julius II and the king of Aragon, and the king of France, that things would turn out badly for Venice. That there were items or, potential circumstances in these treaties, where the king of France would be obligated 'to oppose our Signoria', Venice. Another letter dated on the 17th, said the ambassador had at last spoken to the king who seemed firmly against the interests of Venice. That yes, he had just come from Rome but would not speak of that, but that there was peace between France and Spain. That he had come from Bavaria and was preparing for war to take a piece of that.
On the same day, another letter arrived from the same ambassador, dated the 18th that was still more urgent.
Sanudo Diaries: March 27, 1504; (5:1044-45); "From the same of the 18th. He spoke with someone from the entourage of ser Constantin Arniti, the king's ambassador in Rome, who had received letters from Rome, and he describes their tenor, etc. Nevertheless, the ambassador complains that he is not advised by our Signoria about these urgent matters, that he has not had letters from our Signoria since January 26, and that he does not take as a good sign the fact that the king has not told him that he has had letters from Rome...."
The following day, from the 21st, another letter came with news that the pope had agreed to give money to the German king of the Romans, Archduke of Austria for the crusade to the Holy Land. But that the pope had made three requests. First that he should come to Rome to be crowned Holy Roman Emperor, that he thereby swear to defend and guarantee the traditional rights of the church and, that he would spend such moneys 'against the infidels' and 'for the church'. But these letters also explained that the king had not agreed to these 'stipulations'. He couldn't come to Rome then, because war was brewing in Bavaria. that he would always defend the church in Italy or anywhere else, and that he could not obligate himself with regard to expenditures. This would be a pattern with Max and money.
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Topic in original: 5:1008-64; All quotes as Sanudo Diaries from Venice, Cita Excellentissima, Selections from the Renaissance Diaries of Marin Sanudo translated by Linda L Carroll, editors: Patricia H LaBalme and Laura Sanguineti White, published by Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008
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